Whoever said that friendship is only exclusive to humans? For years, this fisherman from Brazil has cultivated a heartwarming friendship with a penguin. Yes, you heard that right! And their friendship is like no other.

What’s a friendship without sacrifices from both sides? Joao Pereira de Souza did his part six years ago when he first encountered a penguin named Dindim. One fateful day in 2011, de Souza found a South American Magellanic penguin who had washed ashore.

The poor creature was smeared with oil from head to toe. Had de Souza never spotted him, Dindim would surely have perished. Instead, he was nursed back to health by the 71-year-old fisherman who patiently cleaned him up and fed him fish.

For almost a year, de Souza nursed the penguin. During that period, the two formed a strong bond with each other. After 11 months, Dindim’s feathers had grown again. When it was time for him to return to the sea, de Souza was heartbroken to see Dindim leave.The old man thought it would be the last time that he would see his penguin friend, but he was surprised when Dindim returned after a year!

De Souza narrated:“Everyone said he wouldn’t return but he has been coming back to visit me for the past four years. Every year he becomes more affectionate and he seems even happier to see me. No one else is allowed to touch him. He pecks them if they do. He lays on my lap and allows me to give him showers, and to feed him sardines and to pick him up.”

According to a report published by the Tribune, Dindim the penguin spends eight months in the company of his savior. The four remaining months are spent in his natural habitat, where he breeds within the icy coasts of Argentina and Chile.

Every year, the penguin travels a staggering distance of 8,000 kilometers just to see de Souza once again! He travels the same distance to return to his breeding grounds. This astonishing feat proves that Dindim is willing to traverse any distance in order to express his gratitude to his human savior.

In an interview, de Souza was quoted as saying:“I’m flattered Dindim is happy to exchange his home with thousands of other penguins every year to find his way here to spend one-to-one time with me.”Dindim the penguin’s behavior has intrigued many biologists. What powerful feeling could compel a penguin to swim a total of 16,000 kilometers each year just to reunite with a human?According to biologist Joao Paulo Krajewski, it is possible that the penguin sees de Souza not as a human, but as “part of his family and perhaps a penguin as well.”Watch the video below:

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